Mayor Bah explains his reasons for fleeing

Banjul Mayor, Abdoulie Bah, has given a brief explanation as to why he fled to neighbouring country recently at the time when the political impasse was at its peak.

The Banjul Mayor was speaking to Foroyaa in an interview conducted in his chambers at the Banjul City Council on Monday, 30 January, 2017.

Mayor Bah said he left because his life was threatened by unknown men in plain clothes who were searching for him everywhere.

“It all started when I showed my allegiance to President Barrow who was then President Elect, I visited him and told him of my support at a very crucial moment when the then President was not willing to step down,” he noted.

He said few days after his visit on a Thursday some men who are said to be from the state house came to the council to demand for a vehicle given to him by the then government saying that it was an order from President Jammeh that he should handover the keys.

“Immediately they came, I handed over the vehicle, then the next day, when I went to attend Friday (Jummah) Prayers, two men in plain clothes came near me and then after prayers I had to tell my driver to bring my private car which he did then I left for my office,” he disclosed.

Mayor Bah stated that he received a lot of phone calls from relatives, and family members at home and abroad telling him to leave the country.

“Even my children in the Diaspora were trying to make arrangements for me to go to Germany, but I told them that I don’t want to go anywhere and I want to stay,” he remarked.

He said men in plain clothes have been asking people where he lives, and his whereabouts.

Then he said around 11pm on Friday at night he was smuggled to Karang at the border and he later boarded a bus around 3am and went to Kaolack one of the big towns in Senegal.

He said he left Kaolack for Dakar two days before President Barrow’s inauguration.

Mayor Bah said he was supporting Jammeh to make it easier for him as a Mayor because he knows the kind of man the former president is.

He said this was an advice from his supporters.

“As an independent candidate, it wouldn’t have been easy for me if I didn’t show my solidarity with the former President,” he remarked.

He also took the opportunity to congratulate President Adama Barrow and assured his support to him.